Essential oils and volatile emission of eight South African species of Helichrysum grown in uniform environmental conditions

Abstract This paper reported for the first time the aroma profile and essential oil composition of eight species of Helichrysum endemic in South Africa but grown in Italy (CREA-Sanremo collection). The volatiles of all the studied Helichrysum were dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons, except for H. basalticum, where sesquiterpene hydrocarbons was the main class of compounds with β-caryophyllene (13.7%) and α-guaiene (11.9%) as major components. Despite the great diversity of compounds obtained in the volatile emission (more than 130), only four compounds were responsible for at least 34% of the identified fraction. These compounds were: sabinene (16.0%), β-caryophyllene and α-guaiene in H. basalticum; sabinene (57.7%) in H. foetidum; (Z)-β-ocimene (34.6%), tricyclene (16.2%) and myrcene (10.0%) in H. incanatum; myrcene (29.3%), tricyclene (21.5%) and limonene in H. indicum; tricyclene (32.1%) and (E)-3-hexanol acetate (20.1%) in H. montanum; limonene (10.3%), sabinene (8.9%), 1-decene (7.6%) and 1-hexanol (7.0%) in H. mutabile; α- and β-pinene in H. patulum (27.6% and 44.9%, respectively) and α-pinene (36.3%) and α-fanchene(15.6%) in H. setosum. The EOs composition of these species was also different from each other with sesquiterpene compounds as the prevalent class. Valerianol (16.3%, os, in H. basalticum), ledol (16.3%, os, in H. foetidum), β-caryophyllene (11.0% and 13.4%, sh, in H. indicum and H. patulum, respectively), viridiflorol (18.3%, os, in H. montanum) and valerianol (30.1%, os in H. setosum) were found to be the main constituents. It is worthy to highlighting that the H. incarnatum EO showed a similar behaviour to that of the spontaneous emission with a predominance of monoterpene hydrocarbons (60.7% in EO vs 81.4% in VOC), both represented by (Z)-β-ocimene as main constituent

Volatiles and antifungal–antibacterial–antiviral activity of south african salvia spp. Essential oils cultivated in uniform conditions

Spontaneous emissions of S. dentata Aiton and S. scabra Thunb., as well as the essential oil (EO) composition of the cited species, together with S. aurea L., were investigated. The chemical profile of the first two species is reported here for the first time. Moreover, in vitro tests were performed to evaluate the antifungal activity of these EOs on Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum canis, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Fusarium solani. Secondly, the EO antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus pseudointermedius was examined, and their antiviral efficacy against the H1N1 influenza virus was assessed. Leaf volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as the EOs obtained from the arial part of Salvia scabra, were characterized by a high percentage of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (97.8% and 76.6%, respectively), mostly represented by an equal amount of germacrene D (32.8% and 32.7%, respectively). Both leaf and flower spontaneous emissions of S. dentata, as well as the EO composition, showed a prevalence of monoterpenes divided into a more or less equal amount of hydrocarbon and oxygenated compounds. Interestingly, its EO had a non-negligible percentage of oxygenated sesquiterpenes (29.5%). S. aurea EO, on the contrary, was rich in sesquiterpenes, both hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds (41.5% and 33.5%, respectively). S. dentata EO showed good efficacy (Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC): 0.5%) against M. canis. The tested EOs were not active against E. coli and S. aureus, whereas a low inhibition of S. dentata EO was observed on S. pseudointermedius (MIC = 10%). Once again, S. dentata EO showed a very good H1N1 inhibition; contrariwise, S. aurea EO was completely inactive against this virus. The low quantity of S. scabra EO made it impossible to test its biological activity. S. dentata EO exhibited interesting new perspectives for medicinal and industrial uses

Clinical recommendations for diagnosis and treatment according to current updated knowledge on BIA-ALCL

Shared strategies and correct information are essential to guide physicians in the management of such an uncommon disease as Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). A systematic review of the literature was performed to collect the most relevant evidence on BIA-ALCL reported cases. A panel of multidisciplinary experts discussed the scientific evidence on BIA-ALCL, and updated consensus recommendations were developed through the Delphi process. The lastest reported Italian incidence of BIA-ALCL is 3.5 per 100.000 implanted patients (95% CI, 1.36 to 5.78), and the disease counts over 1216 cases worldwide as of June 2022. The most common presentation symptom is a late onset seroma followed by a palpable breast mass. In the event of a suspicious case, ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration should be the first step in evaluation, followed by cytologic and immunohistochemical examination. In patients with confirmed diagnosis of BIA-ALCL confined to the capsule, the en-bloc capsulectomy should be performed, followed by immediate autologous reconstruction, while delayed reconstruction applies for disseminate disease or radically unresectable tumor. Nevertheless, a multidisciplinary team approach is essential for the correct management of this pathology

Guidelines on the diagnosis, treatment and management of visceral and renal arteries aneurysms: a joint assessment by the Italian Societies of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery (SICVE) and Medical and Interventional Radiology (SIRM)

: The objective of these Guidelines is to provide recommendations for the classification, indication, treatment and management of patients suffering from aneurysmal pathology of the visceral and renal arteries. The methodology applied was the GRADE-SIGN version, and followed the instructions of the AGREE quality of reporting checklist. Clinical questions, structured according to the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) model, were formulated, and systematic literature reviews were carried out according to them. Selected articles were evaluated through specific methodological checklists. Considered Judgments were compiled for each clinical question in which the characteristics of the body of available evidence were evaluated in order to establish recommendations. Overall, 79 clinical practice recommendations were proposed. Indications for treatment and therapeutic options were discussed for each arterial district, as well as follow-up and medical management, in both candidate patients for conservative therapy and patients who underwent treatment. The recommendations provided by these guidelines simplify and improve decision-making processes and diagnostic-therapeutic pathways of patients with visceral and renal arteries aneurysms. Their widespread use is recommended

Diagnostic Accuracy of Obstructive Airway Adult Test for Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Rationale. The gold standard for the diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is polysomnography, whose access is however reduced by costs and limited availability, so that additional diagnostic tests are needed. Objectives. To analyze the diagnostic accuracy of the Obstructive Airway Adult Test (OAAT) compared to polysomnography for the diagnosis of OSA in adult patients. Methods. Ninety patients affected by OSA verified with polysomnography (AHI ≥ 5) and ten healthy patients, randomly selected, were included and all were interviewed by one blind examiner with OAAT questions. Measurements and Main Results. The Spearman rho, evaluated to measure the correlation between OAAT and polysomnography, was 0.72 ( < 0.01). The area under the ROC curve (95% CI) was the parameter to evaluate the accuracy of the OAAT: it was 0.91 (0.81-1.00) for the diagnosis of OSA (AHI ≥ 5), 0.90 (0.82-0.98) for moderate OSA (AHI ≥ 15), and 0.84 (0.76-0.92) for severe OSA (AHI ≥ 30). Conclusions. The OAAT has shown a high correlation with polysomnography and also a high diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of OSA. It has also been shown to be able to discriminate among the different degrees of severity of OSA. Additional large studies aiming to validate this questionnaire as a screening or diagnostic test are needed

Spectrum of mutations in Italian patients with familial hypercholesterolemia: New results from the LIPIGEN study

Background Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by elevated plasma levels of LDL-cholesterol that confers an increased risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Early identification and treatment of FH patients can improve prognosis and reduce the burden of cardiovascular mortality. Aim of this study was to perform the mutational analysis of FH patients identified through a collaboration of 20 Lipid Clinics in Italy (LIPIGEN Study). Methods We recruited 1592 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of definite or probable FH according to the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria. We performed a parallel sequencing of the major candidate genes for monogenic hypercholesterolemia (LDLR, APOB, PCSK9, APOE, LDLRAP1, STAP1). Results A total of 213 variants were detected in 1076 subjects. About 90% of them had a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. More than 94% of patients carried pathogenic variants in LDLR gene, 27 of which were novel. Pathogenic variants in APOB and PCSK9 were exceedingly rare. We found 4 true homozygotes and 5 putative compound heterozygotes for pathogenic variants in LDLR gene, as well as 5 double heterozygotes for LDLR/APOB pathogenic variants. Two patients were homozygous for pathogenic variants in LDLRAP1 gene resulting in autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia. One patient was found to be heterozygous for the ApoE variant p.(Leu167del), known to confer an FH phenotype. Conclusions This study shows the molecular characteristics of the FH patients identified in Italy over the last two years. Full phenotypic characterization of these patients and cascade screening of family members is now in progress

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Measurement of the correlation between the polar angles of leptons from top quark decays in the helicity basis at √s = 7 TeV using the ATLAS detector

A measurement of the correlations between the polar angles of leptons from the decay of pair-produced t and t̄ quarks in the helicity basis is reported, using proton-proton collision data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The dataset corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.6  fb−¹ at a center-of-mass energy of √s = 7  TeV collected during 2011. Candidate events are selected in the dilepton topology with large missing transverse momentum and at least two jets. The angles θ1 and θ2 between the charged leptons and the direction of motion of the parent quarks in the tt̄ rest frame are sensitive to the spin information, and the distribution of cosθ1 ⋅ cosθ2 is sensitive to the spin correlation between the t and t̄ quarks. The distribution is unfolded to parton level and compared to the next-to-leading order prediction. A good agreement is observed

Search for massive, long-lived particles using multitrack displaced vertices or displaced lepton pairs in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Many extensions of the Standard Model posit the existence of heavy particles with long lifetimes. This article presents the results of a search for events containing at least one long-lived particle that decays at a significant distance from its production point into two leptons or into five or more charged particles. This analysis uses a data sample of proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3  fb−1 collected in 2012 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. No events are observed in any of the signal regions, and limits are set on model parameters within supersymmetric scenarios involving R-parity violation, split supersymmetry, and gauge mediation. In some of the search channels, the trigger and search strategy are based only on the decay products of individual long-lived particles, irrespective of the rest of the event. In these cases, the provided limits can easily be reinterpreted in different scenarios

Measurement of the CP-violating phase ϕs and the Bs0 meson decay width difference with Bs0 → J/ψϕ decays in ATLAS

A measurement of the Bs0 decay parameters in the Bs0 → J/ψϕ channel using an integrated luminosity of 14.3 fb−1 collected by the ATLAS detector from 8 TeV pp collisions at the LHC is presented. The measured parameters include the CP -violating phase ϕs, the decay width Γs and the width difference between the mass eigenstates ΔΓs. The values measured for the physical parameters are statistically combined with those from 4.9 fb−1 of 7 TeV data, leading to the following: ϕ s =−0.090±0.078(stat.)±0.041(syst.)rad ΔΓ s =0.085±0.011(stat.)±0.007(syst.)ps −1 Γ s =0.675±0.003(stat.)±0.003(syst.)ps −1 In the analysis the parameter ΔΓs is constrained to be positive. Results for ϕs and ΔΓs are also presented as 68% and 95% likelihood contours in the ϕs-ΔΓs plane. Also measured in this decay channel are the transversity amplitudes and corresponding strong phases. All measurements are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions